Abstract

Information systems research that focuses on design activity tends to emphasize (1) individual designer cognition, (2) data integration in a design context; or (3) social processes at the boundaries between communities in a design context. However, there is limited research into the distribution of design activity across both distributed designers and the heterogeneous technologies that are embedded in their practices _ across what we described as doubly distributed design networks. In our cross-case analysis of five doubly distributed design networks in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, we elicit six principles for the design of IT intended to support doubly distributed design network. From these principles we derive a set of theoretical propositions that question the applicability of the prevailing, singlemodel /unified infrastructure paradigm for such networks. Further, this research reconceptualizes the notion of design iteration in such contexts.